The Light of Life
by IaithCariad
Summary: A little short story I did for my English class though it's not really that short.... It's the story of Ruth, but from Orpah's perspective. My first story, soo...tell me what you think! Now in chapters for easier reading! :D They're kinda short though.
1. Dream

**The Light of Life**

I walked leisurely down the smooth lane before me. Flowers of every shape, size and color lined it. I drank in the sweet scent that tingled in my nostrils, inebriating me, melting away my cares. I did not know where this path led, but it did not matter; the journey was enjoyable. Suddenly, the flowers by the path wilted, the path became rocky, the sun lost its warmth, and I was plunged into darkness. I stumbled about blindly, searching for any trace of light, but I could find none. I knew I had a candle with me, but it refused to light. Then I saw another light, a bright light before me, but for some reason I was afraid of it. Would I go to the light or shirk from it? The pressure of indecision began to mount inside me, threatening to break me. Which would I choose?

I woke at the touch of my mother's hand on my forehead. I clutched at it as I began to cry. The nightmare had attacked me quite a few times before, but this time it struck me with an intensity I had never felt in a dream before. It was over now, though. My mother was there to comfort me.

"Was it the same dream, dear?" she asked with concern.

"Yes," I sniffed as I held her tighter.

She stroked my head softly. "The gods must be trying to tell you something, Orpah. It would be wise for you to listen to them."

"But I don't know what any of this means!"

"I don't either. Well, go back to sleep, my daughter. There is no good in trying to figure out divine purposes in the middle of the night." She kissed my forehead and lowered me back onto my bed. But I did not go back to sleep; my thoughts continued to spin in my head.

_What was the path I was going down? How would it transform into such a nightmare? What was the light? These dreams started when I was betrothed to Kilion. Oh, Kilion… _

I sighed as I settled on thoughts of a more pleasant subject. I remembered how it all began between us. A rich man named Lachish had had his eyes on me ever since I was very young. My father had many hardworking sons, and this blessing had made him more forgiving towards my femininity. He wanted me to be happy, and this man of many wives would not do that. Lachish began to threaten us; he even tried to take our land. He had quite a bit of influence in our Moabite community. Also, I was nearly sixteen; if I didn't get married soon I wouldn't get married at all. Just when things looked their worst, Elimilech and his family came from Israel.

They had moved to Moab because of a famine in their hometown, Bethlehem. They had come into our community, and rescued our land from Lachish. In return, my father had promised me to one of their strapping young sons, Kilion. From the instant we met, I had loved everything about him, from his sparkling green eyes to his unusual kindness. Though he believed in a different God, we bonded quickly. I was filled with gratitude, because I had heard many other Moabite wives complaining about their husbands.

Now, my wedding was in only a few days, but these recurring nightmares were becoming more frequent. For the first time, doubt began to creep into my mind. _Was this really such a good idea? Were the gods angry with me for marrying an infidel? No, surely the gods…_I sighed. Nothing was sure when it came to the gods. Mother was right. There was no point in trying to discern the divine mysteries. I rolled over into a more comfortable position, and let the wisps of sleep swirl around my head until I was peacefully dreaming of my betrothed.

The sound of my mother's voice drew me from my slumber. "Darling, it's time to wake up. We need some water for today. It's going to be hot; even now it's warmer than usual."

I sat up and rubbed my eyes sleepily. The night was over, and the fear was gone with it. It was time to move on, to start the brand-new day. I stood and dressed myself quickly. Our family had no servants; we took care of ourselves. I selected a large clay pot from our small horde and hurried to the well.

"Good morning, Orpah! How are you this morning?" called a familiar voice.

"Ruth!" I cried, running to my friend. "I'm tired this morning. You?"

"I'm doing very well, though I am tired, too. I'm getting so excited about marrying Mahlon, I can't sleep!"

Mahlon was Kilion's brother, the other son of Elimilech and Naomi. In fact, that was how I had met Ruth. Soon after I had been betrothed to Kilion, Ruth's father promised her to Mahlon. Although Ruth was younger than me by a few years, she was very wise and understanding for her age. We bonded quickly as future sisters-in-law.

"I had my dream again last night." I spoke softly, as if the ominous dream was more real by the volume in which I spoke of it.

"I wonder what it all means?" she mused.

"I've decided not to worry about it," I replied. This was a good morning, and I didn't want to ruin it by trying to wrap my mind around the eternal.

She smiled at me. "You're so stubborn, Orpah."

"What do you mean?"

"Whenever something doesn't go well for you, then you just ignore it and go on with your life."

"Do you have a problem with that?" I defended myself.

"No, no, I just think it's interesting. I don't want to get into a fight with you, so I'll just leave it at that."

I sighed. "Okay." I didn't want to debate Ruth either, not just because she was my friend, but because she always won. She was very wise for her age.

By now I had finished filling my jar. I would have to make a few more trips for today, however. I balanced it expertly on my head and, supporting it with one hand, waved goodbye with the other. Normally, I would have spent more time talking, but there were preparations to be made for our wedding party. Ruth and I were both marrying on the same day, and we had convinced our parents to allow us to have a big party together.

After a few more trips, I was ready to start my favorite task: sewing my dress. Mother had decided to allow me to make it myself, because I was quite good at sewing. It also relieved some pressure from her, as she also had to prepare a big meal for the party. Ruth's mother had died long ago, so my mother had to prepare food for a double wedding all by herself. I was happy to have such a wonderful mother, and the excitement rose within me as the day approached.


	2. Darkness

"Orpah!"

I ran to the well. Ruth was standing there, her face radiant. "I can't believe I'm married!" She set her jar on the ground and hugged me excitedly.

"It's so wonderful, isn't it?" I replied.

The marriages had occurred over a month prior, but I had not seen Ruth until now because of all the preparations required in setting up a new home. Kilion had remained the wonderful man I had grown to love. We disagreed on only one thing. Or rather, things. Kilion did not want any part of my beliefs, and I did not want to get rid of my household idols. He was the master of the house, however, so I had to let them go. I had sent a brief prayer to the gods to have mercy on him.

But that was in the past. Ruth and I talked and talked as only best friends could. Finally, as the sun climbed in the sky, we had to part, promising to see each other the following day.

I carried the water back to our tent and began preparing a meal for my husband. He had acquired his own land, just adjacent to Elimelech's, and was now out working in it. We didn't have a lot, but then again we didn't need much. We were well off: happy, healthy, not poor, not rich.

But when the messenger came in, the look on his face told me something was wrong, very wrong. "What is it, Ribai?" I asked. "Why do you look so grim?"

He looked at me sadly and said slowly, "One of Elimelech's fields caught on fire, and he tried to save it." He took a deep breath. "He lost not only his field…but he lost his life as well."

I gasped. I had not known Elimelech that well, but when I had met him, he had been very kind to me. Also, I knew that it would be difficult for Kilion to cope with this loss, considering his close relationship with his father. "That's terrible! I can't believe it."

Ribai continued. "And that's not all. Mahlon was with him."

My hand flew to my mouth as this second shock came. I was instantly filled with concern for my best friend. "Have you told Ruth?"

"She doesn't know thus far. But I am not finished yet. There is something else…" he trailed off uncomfortably.

_No! Not Kilion! It is not possible! Is it?_

But the way he watched me was enough. My husband was gone forever. "I'm so sorry," he said as he turned and began to leave.

I kept my composure and remained serene. He undoubtedly did not want to have to deal with a bawling woman. However, once he was well out of earshot I cried my grief to the heavens. "Why?" I sobbed. "What have I done to deserve this? We were so happy! He was a good man!"

I did not sleep all that night. I could only try to process my sudden loss. _Was this the work of the gods? Maybe they really were angry with me for marrying an infidel. What could I do to win back their favor?_ In the end, I was right back where I started; I was still grieving, and no wiser. My rosy path had become rocky; the light of my life had gone dark.

The funeral was at Naomi's house not long after. A dozen hired mourners wailed and tore their clothes as the ceremony progressed. I paid no attention to any of the exhibition, just the age-old question: _Why? _

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see Ruth standing there, her beautiful brown eyes rimmed with red. "Are you doing okay?" she asked.

I just stared at her. The fifteen-year-old had just lost her husband before she ever really got to know him and she was asking _me _if _I _was okay. "Ruth, you have such a tender heart," I said. "Honestly, I'm not sure whether I'm okay or not."

"That's what I'm here for," she said with a sad smile. "You looked so lonely."

We went into the house together, and there I could finally pour my suffering heart out to her. We talked and talked until the sun sank low in the sky and everyone except Naomi had gone. Finally, we parted with a tearful embrace. As I watched Ruth go down the pathway to her home, I tried to picture life without her, and I could not. Ruth had already been a blessing to me, but she would become a greater one in a way I could never imagine.

"Orpah, there is something I need to ask you about," said Ruth one day. It was two months after our husbands had passed away, and we had moved in with Naomi to take care of her. Things were going well between us, and I was in high spirits.

"Certainly," I replied. I figured it was something small, like going to the marketplace to get butter.

The look on Ruth's face was serious, however. "Have you noticed something different about Naomi lately?" she asked.

"What's wrong with her?" I asked.

"No, nothing's _wrong,_ just different. She just seems to be…happy. I can't think of a word for it."

"Happy how?"

"I'm not sure really. That is why I asked you. I was not sure if it was just me, or if you had seen it too."

That night after supper, I heard Ruth and Naomi talking privately. I did not think much of it at first. However, this continued night after night. The conversations grew longer, the voices more intense. I never asked them about it, but I wondered. Then one night, the news came.

Naomi took a deep breath. "Girls, I've been thinking about this for quite some time," she began. "My talks with Ruth started a seed in my mind, and now I'm going to act on it. Please understand that this was a hard decision."

"What is it, Naomi?" asked Ruth, concerned. "You sound very dark all of a sudden."

"It's nothing dark, dear, just hard," Naomi replied. "I am going to move back to Bethlehem. It is too hard for me to stay here. I have close friends in Judah, and they will surely be glad to see me. Go back to your parents, and may God bless you with another husband."

"No!" we cried out together. Naomi had become my friend, and I did not want to suffer a second loss. "If you must go, I will go back with you to your people. Oh, don't leave, Naomi!" I wept.

"Yes, please don't leave us! We love you," Ruth agreed tearfully.

"No, my daughters. Why would you come? Judah is a strange land, full of strange people and customs. Am I going to have any more sons for you to marry? Even if I did, would you wait until they grew up? You would be too old for them, then. This is very difficult for me, even more so than for you. The Lord does not seem to be with me here; that is why I feel I must go."

Naomi's statements made sense to me. While I did not want to stay with her solely for the prospect of a husband, it would be easier for me to remarry here. In addition, I would have trouble adjusting to the strange land of Judah. The separation would be difficult, but at least I knew what to expect.

"I will stay, Naomi," I said. I kissed her and began to leave, but then an outcry from Ruth drew my attention.

She had thrown herself at Naomi's feet, clasping them tightly as she sobbed, "Don't make me leave you!"

"No, my child. Orpah is doing what is right. I will miss you too, but you need to return to what you know. You can still make a life for yourself here."

"No! I will go wherever you go. I will stay wherever you stay. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die, and I will be buried. Death should be the only thing that separates us!"

I had never seen Ruth so determined about anything. Her decision seemed foolish to me, but I admired her passion. I felt almost ashamed at letting Naomi go so easily. I watched them, wondering how Naomi would react to this.

She reached down and rested her hand on Ruth's head. "If this is the way you truly feel," she said, "then I cannot keep you from coming, can I?"

Ruth looked up joyfully. "Then I may go to Judah with you?" she asked.

"Yes. I am rather glad to have a companion."

"Oh, thank you Naomi!" Ruth threw her arms around the woman, and they shared a warm embrace.

I stood just watching. I felt like an outsider. Silently, I turned away from them and walked to my room. Sleep came very uneasily. I had made the right decision to stay, hadn't I?


	3. Departure

It was here. The day I had dreaded since the night of Naomi's announcement had arrived. While Ruth and Naomi had been busy making travel preparations, I had been mulling over my choice. I had also become more distant from Ruth, preparing myself for that painful separation. Now, it had come.

Ruth ran to me from the house as I walked around our bit of land, thinking. "Orpah, I must talk to you," she said breathlessly.

"What is it?" I asked, trying not to let my grief show.

"Come with us," she said. "It won't be as hard if we all come together."

"I can't go to be with a new people! What if they reject us?"

"Naomi's God will protect us," she said confidently.

"Naomi's God?"

"Yes! She told me about him. He is not like our gods. He is sovereign over everything, and he loves us. He is a wonderful God, and I am going to trust him.

"God has a purpose for everything. Naomi told me a story about how he waited four hundred years to rescue the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, but when he did deliver them, it was full of signs and wonders, an unforgettable testimony to his power.

"That's what Naomi and I were talking about. She said that when she was small, her mother died, but when she prayed to God, he comforted her. I decided to try praying to him, and I felt a peace inside me that I would never felt before. Naomi is bitter right now, but I just know God will do something amazing. I want you to see it!

"Meet the one true God, Orpah! He will heal the wounds of your heart, and he will provide for us, even in a new land! Please come with us. Will you?"

I listened to this monologue incredulously. What had happened to my friend? She had always been so logical, and now she was throwing her common sense to the wind, forsaking all she had learned for some delusion to appease her aching heart. If God cared so much for us as well as having complete control, then why did he kill Elimelech? Why did he kill our husbands? No, Ruth was crazy. She was going under, and she was trying to take me with her. I became angry with her.

"Ruth, you honestly expect me to believe that a sovereign God who loves us would kill off the whole family of one of his worshipers? That story about Egypt is just a legend, exaggerated with time. Even if this God of yours is real, he is undoubtedly cruel. I'm not going to follow him."

"But, Orpah…"

"Don't talk to me anymore. I do not want to hear anything more about this God. If he is your best friend now, go talk to him. Maybe he'll be the just God he is and kill Naomi too!"

I turned around and stormed away. I regretted my words the instant I said them, but I would not take anything back. I was right, and Ruth was wrong. That was the whole story. Still, that night I cried myself to sleep in my own bed. I felt so empty.

I sewed on my little sister's dress as I thought. It was supposed to be my first anniversary, but the events of the past year troubled me. No matter what I did, the pain would not go away. I still missed Kilion greatly, and Ruth even more. My last words to her still haunted me. _What an awful thing to say to her!_ Tears began to flow down my face. I had acquired some new friends, but none could replace her.

Mother walked in and saw me crying. She knelt and put her arms around me. "I'm so sorry, dear," she said. "Today must be a hard day for you."

I simply nodded. She sensed that I wanted to be left alone and complied with my wishes. As I stared unseeing at the dress in my hands, I thought of Ruth's last words to me, to pray to God. I clenched my teeth. Unless this God did something truly amazing, I would not trust him. However, Ruth's suggestion did have a grain of truth to it. Before, I had tried to relieve the pain by ignoring it, but that did not work. Maybe our gods could help me. I began to cry to the Moabite pantheon, praying for them to help me. I was trying to light my own candle, but it would not ignite.


	4. Reunion

It was now three years since Ruth and Naomi had left for Judah. I had still not remarried, so I was still living with my mother. I had become bitter towards life, and people noticed that. I had very no real friends anymore; even my own family shied from me a little bit. Then, once again, everything changed forever.

There came a knock on our door. I answered it, and a strange man was standing there. "Is this the household of Orpah?" he asked.

"I'm Orpah," I replied. "It is not my household, but I do live here."

At this, the stranger smiled. "Then allow me to introduce myself. My name is Boaz. I live in Bethlehem, in Judah."

"Bethlehem?" I asked. "Do you know a girl named Ruth there, by any chance?"

He glanced quickly to his left. "You could say that…"

"Ruth!" I cried as my friend appeared. I was about to run forward and hug her, but then I stopped. What if she did not think of us as best friends anymore?

She instantly dispelled my reservations when she dashed forward to see me. "Orpah! I'm so glad to see you!"

"I'm happy to see you, too!" I replied.

Suddenly, a little boy toddled inside. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Obed, this is Orpah. When I lived here, we were best friends," Ruth explained. "Orpah, this is my son, Obed."

_Ruth had a son? Then was Boaz her husband?_

"Hello, Orpah," Obed said politely.

"Hello, Obed," I answered. I looked up at Ruth. I needed her to explain a few things for me. "Could I talk to you for a little bit?" I asked.

"Certainly." Ruth set Obed down and instructed him to stay with his daddy for a little while. "Now, what do you want to ask me?" she questioned once we were alone.

"First, I want to apologize for the way I treated you before you left. Well, apologize is not a strong enough word, but…"

"I've already forgiven you," she said quietly.

"But, I really…"

"No," she smiled sincerely. "That's in the past now."

_What an amazing friend, _I thought. "Second, what exactly happened after you went back to Bethlehem? How did you meet Boaz? Where is Naomi?"

I listened in amazement as Ruth proceeded to recount the now-famous story of how she married the field owner. "Naomi's back in Bethlehem," she finished. "She did not want to make the journey to Moab, but she sends her love."

"That is an incredible story, Ruth!" I said. "It's amazing how something like that could happen to you."

"It was the Lord's blessing," she said pointedly. "I know this is a touchy subject with you, but please listen to me! God is not a mean, distant god. I know I would have been happy with Mahlon, but Boaz is more than he ever was. Also, God has continued to heal my heart and Naomi's too. Naomi actually changed her name to "Mara" (meaning "bitter." If God can heal her, he can heal you too!"

I looked at her hopeful countenance, and gave a half-smile. "That was the third thing I was going to ask you about."

"Please, please trust him, Orpah! I will pray with you right now for his peace, if you want."

I took a deep breath and nodded. Ruth joyfully rushed over to me and took my hands. We knelt as Ruth prayed aloud. I silently agreed with her; I still was not ready to pray to the God I had hated all by myself.

The instant she was finished, a wave of peace and joy washed over me. I felt a chill run through me. It was as if the greatest being in existence, my own creator, had whispered for my ears only, "I love you, Orpah, my child. I am so glad you have come to me." I put my head on Ruth's shoulder and began to cry as she ran her fingers through my long brown hair. It was a wonderful feeling to be loved.

Suddenly, Obed came into the room and took one look at us. "Daddy!" he yelled. "Mommy's pulling on Orca's hair and making her cry!" I laughed as Boaz "scolded" Ruth. It was plain to see that they were a happy family.

I decided to return Bethlehem with Ruth, Boaz and Obed. Following a happy reunion with Naomi, I lived with her as if I were her daughter. I never remarried, but I became Obed's godmother and experienced the joys that came with watching a child grow. The most important thing, however, was that my relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob grew stronger as he healed my heart. One day, I recalled my dream from before I married Kilion and smiled. I had finally made the right choice. I had chosen to go to the light, God's light of life.


End file.
